Reviews

A short yet very touching story. Not much to expect but there is something about inevitability and doom there that makes me consider how life really works.

ralphnodon's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

blairfrank's review against another edition

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5.0

This is one of those books that I had heard much about, but kept passing it by on the library shelf for something newer, shinier. The writing was challenging, but in order to fully understand Charlie Gordon's existence I willingly accepted.

apollinares's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I feel like this book will stick with me for a long time. Though aspects have not aged so well, most of it holds up in 2024 and is just as thought-provoking for a modern audience.

Charlie's intellectual development is incredibly well written, explored through his progress reports to be gradual enough for the audience not to notice until suddenly he's writing in complex sentences and has a rich inner monologue. The book fluently describes, in the latter half, the fear many have of becoming disabled/senile, and addresses it in a way I haven't encountered in fiction very often.

ericaburns1's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes

2.5

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